Peeta's Desire
by kolibrarian
Summary: This is my first attempt at Everlark fanfiction. It began as a one-shot and I decided to continue it. The story takes place a few months after Katniss and Peeta come home from the Games, and before the Victory Tour. I call it an Everlark story, but it's really about Peeta, told from Peeta's point of view.
1. Chapter 1

Rated M

**Peeta's Desire**: An Everlark One-Shot (_that I decided to continue_)

Katniss held her breath and let go of the arrow. She watched it hit the deer right behind its shoulder, and sink into the heart; the deer dropped on all fours and was dead instantly. She quickly cut its belly open and scooped out its insides, still warm and steaming in the cool autumn morning. She choked back the bile that came up in her throat and got out her rope. She had blood all over her hands, so since she was close to the lake, she went there to wash. Feeling the wet stickiness on her cheek, she grimaced, and decided to go for a quick swim.

Peeta watched Katniss from the low branches of a weeping willow tree. He had secretly followed her when he saw her go into the woods. They hadn't talked in almost five months, not since they'd moved to Victor's Village. Crazy, really, when he thought about how close they lived to each other; only Haymitch's house was between them. She must really hate him to ignore him so thoroughly. When he brought cookies to Prim, bread to Mrs. Everdeen, and cheese buns for Katniss, she would leave the room, or even the house! It hurt all the time, but he couldn't stop loving her, and couldn't stand to be without her. He felt like half of a person. So he had taken to following her around sometimes, just so he could watch her…and remember when she didn't hate him, or at least pretended not to hate him.

She crossed to the lake and washed her hands. He admired her courage and skill to kill and gut a deer like that. It was sad he couldn't help her. He stopped breathing when Katniss stripped off her leather jacket and kicked off her boots. She was facing away from Peeta; otherwise she probably would have seen him behind the willow leaves. Peeta thanked his luck. He bit his hand to keep from making a noise when she suddenly pulled her shirt over her head and then slid her tan-colored pants down her long, slender legs, bending over as she did so. The sight of Katniss in her underwear, bending over so enticingly, made him hard almost instantly. He took his hand out of his mouth when it started to hurt from the force of his teeth and rubbed it against his pants.

A sharp inhale of breath through his nose had Katniss looking behind her. Seeing that the deer lay undisturbed, she scanned the area with her eyes, searching for the sound. Apparently not finding anything, she sighed and took off her bra. Goosebumps rose on her bare skin, as a cool gust of wind caressed her practically naked body. Raising her arms, she dived into the lake. Her lake. She came up gasping from the cold, her braid floating behind her, and started rubbing the blood off her face.

Peeta had to grip a small branch beside his head to keep from falling backwards out of the tree, when Katniss removed her bra. He had never seen breasts before. He ached for the curve of softness which would fit his hand so perfectly; the taut dark nipples begged to be sucked. He watched her dive into the water, and then he exhaled with a groan. It felt a little painful in his crotch, so he began to rub it with his free hand. After a minute, Peeta undid the buttons and slipped his hand inside his pants, and began stroking his swollen dick, while he watched Katniss swim in the lake in only her panties. It was creepy, he knew, if anyone were to see him watching her and touching himself this way. A tear slipped from his eye; he just let it roll down his cheek, and drop off his jaw, while the intensity of his stroking increased.

Lately at night, when he stared at the ceiling of his lonely bedroom, he thought of Katniss lying with her head on his chest, his hand holding hers, as she did in the cave. He had become an insomniac since the Games. He didn't want the nightmares. But he would think of her at night, and get hard with desire. He had woken up on a pillow wet with tears more than once. And the longing never stopped for long. He was surprised his dick still worked after the beatings he gave it every night.

Katniss stood up in the shallow water at the bank, providing Peeta a view of both breasts; soft, but firm orbs with peaks long and tight from the cold water that dripped off of them. Peeta folded his lips over his teeth and pressed them together to keep from moaning loudly at the sight. He was mesmerized by the dark triangle showing through her clingy white underwear. Incredibly, his dick swelled even bigger in his hand and he shuddered silently, and slowed his ministrations, his eyes on Katniss. She stomped up the bank, breasts bouncing lightly, and started sluicing the water off her body with her hands. Then she squeezed the excess water out of her braid, while shivering in the cool air.

His face turned beet red from embarrassment, even though he was hidden, and he very carefully removed his hand and wiped it on his pants. But it was impossible for him to look away while she put her clothes back on. Then she went to rope the doe.

Peeta exhaled a shaky breath. He knew he would have another image in his mind tonight while he stared at his bedroom ceiling. He imagined holding her, her head on his chest, his arm around her bare back, nothing but her underwear on, her breasts pressed to his side. She would be shivering. He would warm her…. And Damn, with that thought, the longing began again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Peeta's Desire**: Chapter 2

Peeta pulled the steaming cheese buns out of his oven. They were perfect as usual, with the white cheese just beginning to ooze out of the buns; the cheddar he had sprinkled on top was smooth and glistening. These were Katniss' favorite, he knew, so he made a dozen every other day, kept two for himself, and that left ten buns to take to her. Well, to deliver to her house was more like it, since Katniss seemed to disappear whenever he visited.

Prim always made him feel better by gushing over the various cookies and little cakes he'd made, decorated with tiger lilies, primroses, violets, or butterflies, just for her. Mrs. Everdeen looked at Peeta with grateful eyes, and insisted on sending food back with him. The other day, it was beef stew, and before that, meatloaf. His favorite was her fried chicken, though. _Maybe that would be today!_ He crossed to the sink to wash his hands.

He once again felt the suffocating pain in his chest, when he considered why Katniss couldn't stand to be around him, and barely spoke to him. She wouldn't even look at him. He was full of questions. _Has she seen the longing in my eyes on the rare occasions I catch her eye, and feel guilty because she doesn't have the same feelings for me? Do I remind her of the horribleness of the Games? Is it my robotic leg?_ _Does she feel like this was her fault?_

He looked down and saw his pant legs hanging normally, stopping at his boots. It was actually hard to tell he had an artificial leg at all, except that it was numb. Only sometimes it ached where the mechanical leg was permanently attached to his thigh bone. He could still do just about anything he did before he lost his leg; the thing responded to his thoughts. The Capital had spared no expense. He still wondered why they saved him at all. They could have had their one winner if they had just let him bleed to death.

He didn't blame Katniss for his leg at all. It was his bad luck to get wounded by Cato. They would've attacked him sooner or later anyway. Peeta leaned back on the kitchen counter and looked to the ornate ceiling in the Victor's house he chose. It was his good luck to be found by Katniss. She saved his life. They _kissed_. Peeta shoved off from the counter and started to put the buns and cookies into a big brown basket. _Maybe I'm a fool, but all those kisses felt real to me. She risked her life for me!_ _She said she owed me, because I had saved her life years ago, but surely that's not all it was? _Peeta frowned and wiped a stray tear from his cheek. _She looked so scared when she thought I was dead. She felt something real! I know she did! _

He picked up the basket and walked out his front door to deliver them while they were still warm, and tried to ignore the rolling turmoil in his stomach. There was a cold wind this afternoon, as autumn was in full season. The air smelled like rain. Peeta wasn't used to wearing his coat yet, and forgot to put it on, so he hurried past Haymitch's house, and knocked on Katniss' door.

Prim answered. "Hi, Peeta! Come in! Mmmm, cookies! I'll take them."

Peeta handed the basket to her and followed her into the kitchen. It startled him to see Katniss sitting at the table. She looked up and their eyes met. Just the small intimacy of looking into her eyes, caused a tug in his groin. _I miss you_, he tried to convey silently. He saw Katniss swallow, and she held his gaze for three whole seconds, before she pushed her chair back and got up.

"Say Hello, Katniss," said Prim, pointedly. "Peeta brought you cheese buns!"

"Hello," she mumbled. Her eyes focused on the basket Prim had set on the table.

Peeta's stomach flipped. "Hi, Katniss. How are you?" he managed to say. And he meant it. He really would love to know how she was doing. If she was having nightmares, like he was. He noticed the shadows under her eyes from lack of sleep. Of course, she was having nightmares. He longed to go to her and put his arms around her, but he didn't.

"I'm fine, thank you." She replied curtly. "Well, I have to go get some things at the Hob," she said as she whipped her leather jacket off the back of her chair, and began sliding her arms into it. Peeta sighed. _There she goes again._

"Katniss! I need some things, too. Would you get them for me?" Mrs. Everdeen handed her annoyed daughter a list. At the top of the list was a bottle of alcohol, followed by string, sackcloth for bandages, writing paper and ink, a few small nails, 4 yards of blue cloth, white thread, Ginger root, honey, and peppermint leaves.

"I don't even know if Greasy Sae has all this at the Hob," grumbled Katniss.

"Just do the best you can, Katniss. Take Peeta with you; he can help carry something. Do you mind, Peeta?" Peeta's eyes jumped to Mrs. Everdeen, who gave him a covert wink.

"Uh…yeah…I mean no, I don't mind." He looked back at Katniss in time to see her slide her hand over her eyes and down her face, and then she exhaled heavily. He almost asked her if it was okay with her that he go, but he didn't want to hear the answer, so he kept quiet. Walking beside Katniss to town, instead of hanging back and hiding, was something he wanted very badly.

Katniss swept past him, snagging a cheese bun on the way. "Come on, then!" she ordered.

Peeta's eyebrows shot up, and he wasted no time in catching up with Katniss. They walked the first two minutes in silence, Peeta meeting her stride for stride, while she ate her cheese bun. He searched for the right thing to say to end the tension. _Start slow, keep it casual. _But when he tilted his head and was just about to ask her how she liked the cheese bun, she emitted a soft little moan as she put the last of it in her mouth, stunning him for a second. He blinked rapidly and had to remind himself to take a breath. It was obvious she liked it, so he quickly adjusted and said, as casually as he could, "I'm flattered that you like my cheese buns so much."

Katniss only glanced at him. "I appreciate that you make them, and Prim loves your cookies," she said matter-of-factly.

"It makes me happy to bake; takes my mind off certain things. Just like it makes you happy to hunt." His grin faded quickly when he saw how weary her face appeared just then.

Katniss nodded slowly and smiled to herself. "I understand needing to keep busy to take your mind off 'certain things', Peeta."

The sound of his name on her lips was like food for a starving man.

She stared ahead of her as she walked. "How are you sleeping, Peeta, because I can't sleep. Nightmares wake me up every night. I thought I might take up drinking like Haymitch, until I just pass out."

_No! _Peeta couldn't imagine Katniss becoming as surly and cynical as Haymitch, although he could certainly understand now why Haymitch drank. "Katniss…," he said gently. "You're not Haymitch. You have your sister to think about."

"You get along pretty good on that leg now," she said, abruptly changing the subject, noticing his almost even strides that kept pace with hers.

_The leg! Was that it? _Peeta cleared his throat. "That's right, and it's getting better every day. I'm getting used to it."

Katniss stopped walking, and turned to face him. "I'm so sorry, Peeta," she said, her voice cracking.

Peeta willed himself to look directly into her beautiful gray eyes, and saw a tortured person there. "You don't get to blame yourself for this, Katniss. It wasn't your fault," he replied. "I never _once_ blamed you." He dropped his eyes, adding, "For _anything._"

Katniss closed her eyes. Her whole being seemed to sag. Peeta drew his brows together in anguish. He ached to pull her to his chest and wrap her in his arms. He wanted to keep her safe forever. She literally saved his life. And his life belonged to her now more than ever. He could never be happy with anyone else.

What he did do was reach out and take her hand. "Don't ever blame yourself, Katniss. Seriously. I want you to be happy I'm alive. "

Katniss jerked her hand out of his. "I am! I am happy you're alive! Of course, I am! But if I had paid more attention to my mother's healing, maybe you wouldn't have lost your leg!" Her eyes went glassy with unshed tears.

"No, don't think that!" Peeta's longing to hold her increased to painful levels. "I got to come home. I got to see you, be near you! Yes, I have trouble sleeping! But it's not my leg that keeps me awake! It's because I don't have _you_ beside me!"

He felt his face go red, and he knew he may have just blown it. He'd actually _added_ to her guilt.

He watched her react like he had slapped her. Her face crumpled and she began to run toward town. Peeta sighed deeply, closed his eyes, and frowned._ So much for slow and casual._


	3. Chapter 3

**Peeta's Desire**: Chapter 3

Peeta stood in the street and watched Katniss run away from him. At first, he felt the same old feeling he had since they'd gotten back from the Games; Katniss didn't love him, she'd played him to stay alive, and it hurt so bad, because he wanted her…no, he couldn't _breathe_ without her! But in the next moment it hit him.

_Katniss cares about me! _

"She was on the verge of tears," he murmured, confused. _She may not be in love with me, but at least she cares, and I now know why she has been avoiding me. It's not really fair of me to let her feel guilty about how she feels…or doesn't feel._

So Peeta began to jog after Katniss. Soon he was running full out with the new leg, and it didn't hurt a bit anymore. He found Katniss just as she was entering the ramshackle building called the Hob. He could smell Greasy Sae's venison stew and it made him hungry. He was counting on a meal from Mrs. Everdeen.

He quietly followed Katniss as she picked up most of the items on her mother's list. Instead of blue material, all the Hob offered was a light beige material with tiny yellow flowers, so she picked up a bolt of that. When her hands were too full to grab the personal items she wanted, Peeta came up beside her and pulled the bolt of dress material, the sackcloth, the bottle of alcohol, a bag of ginger, and a jar of honey out of her hands. She just stared warily at him, letting him take them, and he smiled shyly at her. Then she turned away without a word and picked up some homemade bath soap, strawberry-scented shampoo, and some leather shoelaces for herself.

Peeta was jostled by a burly gentleman heading for the bar in the back, and he was knocked into Katniss from behind. He caught the delicious scent of strawberries in her hair, and was sniffing it when Katniss looked over her shoulder at him. Their faces were almost nose-to-nose, startling them both. Peeta's eyes delved deeply into hers, like he was looking for the answer to a question, which caused Katniss to gasp and turn away quickly.

She hurried to the next stall and spent several minutes at the box of feathers, picking out the toughest and straightest for her arrows. Peeta just followed her around the Hob while she finished her shopping.

"Why don't you visit the shops in town, Katniss? You don't have to shop from the Hob anymore."

Katniss kept her head down and refused to look at Peeta, but she answered him. "Because I love this place, and the people here. And I would much rather give my money to Greasy Sae," she explained. "She is the only way the families in the Seam have survived."

Peeta was amazed that Katniss, who tried so hard to convince everyone that she was tough and unfeeling, actually had a soft heart for more than just her sister, and was so compassionate to the people of the Seam, that she still hunted for them and spent her money on them, ignoring the better quality products on the town square. The longing for her welled up in him, and he lowered the items in his hands to hide the temporary bulge in the front of his pants. He noticed that many of the customers nodded and smiled at them, still believing they were a loving couple. It gave him a warm and wonderful feeling to pretend for a while that they were.

After she paid, and they got outside, Katniss confronted Peeta. "What do you think you're doing, Peeta? I didn't need your help."

"You don't?" he asked incredulously, raising his arms to display the three sacks he carried. Katniss carried two. "Actually, I'm not doing this for you. I was hoping I would get some of your mother's home cooking, if I helped you. It beats Greasy Sae's cooking."

"Oh," was all Katniss could say. She stared at him for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip, seemingly at a loss for words, and Peeta got butterflies in his stomach. He wanted to kiss her so badly! His shoulders drooped when she sharply turned to head back up the hill to the Victor's Village.

_Oh, God, she seems to hate me, but I know she doesn't. The way she looked at me just now, turned me to jelly. _This was the closest he'd been to her in months, and the first time he had any idea how much was still between them, whether she wanted to admit it or not. When she caught him smelling her hair, the lightning bolt was unmistakable. With an exasperated sigh, he followed her up the hill. _Oh, Katniss, why are you fighting your feelings? _

Right before Peeta caught up to Katniss, Gale came running from his house. "Hey, Catnip! Need some help with those bags?" Then he saw Peeta.

"What are you doing here? Following her like some kind of lost puppy? " Gale demanded.

Peeta held up the bags, and said calmly, "I was helping her with her shopping."

Gale reached Peeta in three long strides and ripped the bags from his hands. "Can't you tell she wants you to stay away from her! I'll take these; now run along, Puppy." Gale laughed confidently.

Peeta's eyes flashed with anger. He could have fought with Gale, but he chose not to. Maybe Gale did have more of a claim on Katniss than he did. Peeta looked past Gale to Katniss, who had turned around. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Gale! Stop it!" she yelled. Then she came stomping back to them. "My mother invited Peeta to dinner!" She faced Gale, her eyes blazing. "I don't need you to protect me, Gale! Not from Peeta!"

Gale was stunned, then he leaned down over her, his voice low, and said, "Katniss, you know how he feels about you. Don't lead him on."

"She's definitely not leading me on," Peeta said, letting Gale know he had heard him.

"Stop! No, I'm not doing anything!" Katniss glared at Peeta, her eyes wide. Peeta shrugged innocently.

Then she turned back to Gale, and huffed. "You can come to dinner, too, if you want," she said flatly.

An arrow shot through Peeta's heart. Then she held one of her sacks out to him to carry, but Peeta shook his head.

"You know, Katniss, I think I'll just go home," he told her, with a sad smile. "You've got someone to help you carry your bags now, so you don't need me." He almost changed his mind when he thought he saw disappointment in her eyes, but there was no way he could be comfortable with Gale there.

"Oh…okay," responded Katniss, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Now that I'm in town, I'd like to visit my family," Peeta improvised. "I am sorry to miss your mom's cooking, though. Ask her if I can get a rain check."

Katniss just nodded.

Gale transferred the three bags to one hand and took Katniss' arm with the other. "I would love to have dinner with you, Katniss," he grinned, lightly tugging her up the hill. Katniss quickly glanced back over her shoulder at Peeta, with guilt in her eyes.

Peeta waited a few minutes and then began following Gale and Katniss, keeping to the side of the road and moving in the shadows. When he got close enough, he heard Katniss say loudly, "But you were very rude to Peeta. He really was helping me, because my mother asked him to! He bakes bread for her and won't accept payment, so she feeds him sometimes. _I_ didn't invite him."

_Ouch. That hurt._

"That boy can't take a hint, and I've seen the way he follows you around, the little creep," responded Gale.

Katniss stopped. "What?"

Gale answered, "What?"

"What did you say? You've seen him follow me? And you never told me?" Katniss slapped Gale's arm.

"I was going to," said Gale. "In fact, I just did. He's pathetic-too scared to even talk to you."

"Scared?" When she whipped her head around to look behind her, Peeta crouched lower behind the shrubs that lined the street into Victor's Village. He was furious with Gale!

"One of these days, I might have to knock his head off."

"Gale!"

"Sorry, Catnip, but you're _my_ girl." He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head.

A cold gust of wind blew right through Peeta's shirt, as well as his heart, and he wished he had his coat. It thundered nearby, so Peeta didn't hear if Katniss responded or not. He had to wait, shivering, watching Gale and Katniss run into her house, so he could sneak into his own house unseen. He clenched his jaw, thinking of the way Gale pulled Katniss to him, so proprietary. Lightning cracked the darkening sky above him, and a second later thunder boomed louder than before. Peeta began to run for home, but the sky opened up, and he was soaking wet before he got into the house.

Peeta immediately packed more wood into the fireplace, in the sparsely decorated living room, and lit it. He removed his wet shirt, and draped it on the back of a wooden chair. A loud crack of lightning made him jump, and his house went dark. He was able to see well enough by the firelight to find the matches in a box by the oven, and candles in a drawer. He went around lighting candles in jars, on plates, and in sconces on the walls of his living room and kitchen. Then he went upstairs and lit candles in his bedroom. There he sat on the floor and worked the knots out of his leather shoelaces, so he could pull his shoes and socks off. Then he pushed himself up with his strong metal leg, stripped off his wet pants, and put on a pair of flannel pajama bottoms. He found his sheep-lined house slippers and shoved his cold foot into one and his metal foot into the other. Peeta rubbed his bare arms vigorously, to alleviate his goosebumps, and hurried back downstairs to sit by the fireplace.

The fire warmed him as he rocked in a rocker he and his father had made themselves. He was pretty proud of it, rubbing the smooth arms of it with hands. He missed his father and his brothers, now that he lived by himself. He offered, but they hadn't wanted to move in with him, since it was more convenient for them to live above the bakery. His oldest brother had recently gotten married and lived in a home of his own in town. He would have to quit being so traumatized by the games, learn to sleep again, and have them over for dinner soon.

Thinking of dinner reminded him of the dinner he'd given up, actually sitting at Katniss' table with her. The sadness set in again as he imagined Gale eating and joking around the dinner table with her family right now. _Damn him! _It was the first time Katniss had said more than two words to him for all these months, and he was so hopeful of connecting to her again before the Victory Tour. The Capital, indeed the country, believed they were living happily ever after together. _What a cruel joke_.

Watching the fire always made him think of Katniss. _The Girl on Fire._ Of course, everything made him think of Katniss. There wasn't anything else worth thinking about. _What must she think of me?_ _Gale tried to make her think I was some kind of pervert. You are too good for him, Katniss!_

Peeta's stomach growled, reminding him that he had not had anything to eat for hours. Reluctantly, he pushed himself up and went to the kitchen to make a sandwich. He thought he had some sliced ham still in the refrigerator. He removed the plate from the refrigerator and sniffed it to see if it was still fresh enough to eat.

It surprised the hell out of him, to hear a knock at the front door. Maybe Haymitch needed to borrow some candles? When he opened it, Katniss stood on his porch, looking like a drowned cat, holding a plastic-covered plate of fried chicken. Peeta cocked an eyebrow and looked at her questioningly. Was this a dream?

"You wanted a rain check?" He heard her voice, as an incredulous smile spread across his face. "Well, it's raining," said Katniss, smiling back at him. "May I come in?"


	4. Chapter 4

Peeta stepped back and opened his front door wider. "Yes, come in, come in!" While he sounded calm and friendly, inside his heart was pounding.

Katniss' stared at his bare chest and didn't respond right away. Her eyes shifted to Peeta's flannel pants and then she looked Peeta in the eyes. "Are you sure? Do you want to go to bed?"

_She did not just say that!_ Peeta slowly smirked, locking eyes with Katniss. He enjoyed the mortified look of panic he saw there.

"I…I mean…I _meant_ am I keeping you from going to _sleep?_" she stammered.

"No, no" chuckled Peeta. "I was caught in the rain and had to change. Oh, wait right there!" He pointed his finger at her, thinking _Stay,_ and then ran to the closet at the end of the hallway, grabbed a towel out of it, and ran back to the door.

"Here, I'll trade you. Towel for chicken." He held the towel out for her in one hand and reached for the plate with the other. He couldn't stop grinning.

"Ok, but do I still get to come in?" asked Katniss, handing the chicken to Peeta. He nodded. She snatched the towel from his other hand, dried her face and rubbed her hair. Suddenly he was reminded of the last time he saw her all wet. Desire rose in more than his heart.

A brisk wind blew across his porch, cooling him off, and Katniss shivered. "Come in before we both freeze to death, Katniss." She did.

_Is this really happening?_ This was the first time Katniss had ever stepped over his threshold. He could tell it made her nervous also. Peeta lifted the wrapping on the chicken, and inhaled its aroma, while Katniss looked around at the empty walls.

"Your mom makes the best fried chicken. Thank her for me." He set the plate on the dining table, and turned his attention to Katniss. "And thank you for bringing it over in this downpour. I can't believe you did that."

"It's okay," said a distracted Katniss, struggling to pull her arms out of her wet jacket.

"Let me help you." He went to her, and helped her out of her jacket. He couldn't stop himself from running his hand down her arm; it had been so long since he'd touched her. Katniss' eyes met his, and she gave him a hint of a smile. Being this close to her, he could smell the strawberry scent of her wet hair.

"Come to the fire," insisted Peeta. "You're shaking." _I hope she doesn't notice that I'm shaking, too!_

"Ooooo, yes!" responded Katniss, letting Peeta lead her into the living room and sit her in the wooden rocking chair in front of the fireplace. He poked the wood with an iron stick and it flared up into a blaze of heat. The firelight lit one side of his face, leaving the other side in shadow, when he looked back at Katniss. He was struck dumb by the sight of her in his chair, in his home, lit only by firelight and candlelight. He got a feeling of déjà vu, because he had imagined it just like this so many times.

"Mmmm, the heat feels good," purred Katniss. She slid her hands out on the wide arms of the chair and began to rock. Peeta noticed her shoes were still very wet. So was the bottom half of her pants. _But oh, I couldn't ask her to take those off! _ _Could I? No! _He could see her in her underwear from the other day._ This isn't a dream; get control of yourself! _

Instead he scooted on the floor to Katniss' feet, and started to untie one of her shoes. She kicked out at him, but he caught her foot in his hand. They both laughed.

"What are you doing?" asked Katniss.

"I'm trying to get your shoes off. Your feet need to dry, too. See, look!" He exclaimed, pulling a shoe off and holding it up, with the sole facing her. "Look at that mud! I can't have you tracking mud through my house," he teased. Then he got to work on the other one. After he pulled that one off, he took each of her ankles in his hands and peeled off her socks. He rubbed her bare feet before letting them go. When he glanced up, his heart stopped. Katniss had the most beautiful expression on her face, looking down at him with eyes full of happiness and admiration.

"Just a minute!" said Peeta suddenly, and he got up off the floor and went to a dark corner of the room by the window and pulled an easel out into the light. It held a blank canvas. "I want to draw you. May I please?" he implored. _It doesn't matter. I'm going to draw you anyway._

"You don't want to draw me. My hair is all wet and stringy. I'm sure I look terrible," said Katniss, turning pink with embarrassment.

"I just need to do a sketch. Just keep watching the fire…." He hesitated, as Katniss raised her eyes to look at him. He crossed to her swiftly and took hold of the arms of the chair, placing his hands right over her wrists. That made her gasp, and it drew his eyes to hers. He was about ten inches from that enticing mouth. The mouth he longed for every day. His dick started to swell. _This is no time to be wearing flannel pants! _Tearing his eyes away, he jerked the chair up, setting it down at an angle halfway between him and the fire. She gasped again, a small flash of fear in her eyes, and Peeta felt desire spread like a warm blanket up from his groin and out his shoulders, leaving him with goosebumps. He was dying to touch more than her wrists.

"Now watch the fire," he said hoarsely. He cleared his throat, and went back to the easel. He grabbed a charcoal pencil and began marking on the canvas. It was silent for an awkward minute and then Peeta spoke. "Um, Katniss," He continued to draw. "What made you come to visit me now, tonight? You've been avoiding me for months, you know."

"I know." She whispered, her eyes on the fire. "I've been unfair to you."

"I agree."

"Peeta," started Katniss. "First I want to apologize for Gale…he was rude…"

"You can't apologize for someone else," Peeta jumped in, cutting her off.

She considered this and moved on. "Second, I felt bad that you didn't get your dinner, so I brought you all the chicken that was left."

"I appreciate the chicken more than you know, but it was your fault; you invited Gale."

She tilted her head and raised her eyebrows at him. "Maybe that's why I brought the chicken."

"Don't move!" demanded Peeta. He was in the middle of drawing her eyes.

Katniss straightened her head. "Sorry." She continued, "And third? I wanted to ask you some questions."

_That doesn't sound good. She could have asked me any questions at her house whenever I brought the bread. This has to do with what Gale told her!_

"What questions?" he asked, trying to stay calm.

"Have you been following me around?"

"What?" Peeta dreaded answering that question.

She looked him in the eyes and silently demanded an answer.

"Only sometimes," said Peeta, quietly. "A few times, maybe." He could feel his face flushing red.

"Why?" she looked incredulous.

Peeta shrugged. "I've been following you, Katniss, most of my life. From the times I watched you walk home from school, to the times you came to the bakery. I would follow for a couple of blocks just to watch you selling your squirrels and rabbits and quail." He smiled at the memory. Then he added, "It's just something I need to do."

"I don't like that." Katniss looked back at the fire.

"I understand." _I won't be able to stop, though._

"Were you scared to talk to me?" asked Katniss. "Gale said you were; that's why you were following me."

Peeta narrowed his eyes at the mention of Gale's name. "I was before the Games, but not now. I was _hurt_, Katniss…can't you understand that? I still am. You act like you don't want me around anymore. I just believed you didn't want to talk to _me _anymore." He was glad the light was dim, so she wouldn't see the two tears that slipped down his face.

Katniss gazed at Peeta with wide eyes, and then sighed resignedly. "Peeta, I have been feeling guilty. I avoided you because of that. I've been feeling guilty about your leg, too, but mostly about leading you on in the Games. I honestly don't know what I feel about you... it's all mixed up. You kept me from falling apart, and I'll always be grateful for that. No one else knows what it is like." She turned her face back to the fire. "I could tell you that I can't sleep in my empty bed, but it wouldn't be fair." She started rocking faster. "The truth is, I don't ever want to get married or have a family...with _anyone_. I avoid you because I don't want you wasting your time on me. I don't want you to think there's a future with me…. I'm sorry."

Peeta's mind skipped over all of the negatives and just saw the positives in what she just confessed._ She has trouble sleeping without me! Did she just mention marriage and a family? She thought about marriage and a family with me? Even if it's to say she doesn't want to, she had to have considered it first! There's still hope!_

"Ta da!" said Peeta, going on like he hadn't heard the "no future" part. He held up the canvas so she could see the black and gray drawing of a beautiful girl, with a thick braid draped over her shoulder. Shorter strands framed her face, one of the strands glued to her cheek. She had a soft full mouth, and light gray eyes that flashed from the light of the fire. She sat with her bare feet on the floor, poised to push up to rock the chair back, thighs taunt; her arms relaxed on the arms of the chair, her posture and expression reflecting a mixture of sensuality, sadness, and strength.

"Peeta! That's really good, but that's not me. I'm not that pretty." She laughed.

"Really? Because this is exactly what you look like to me." He smiled. "Actually, you look better than this. This is just a drawing and you're real." His comment made Katniss blush.

"Then I wish you were my mirror, Peeta." She laughed and reached for her dry socks and shoes. "It's getting late, I should go."

Peeta came to stand in front of her. "I will happily be your mirror, Katniss," he said sincerely. "Anytime you don't see yourself as a beautiful woman, you come to me." The love he felt for her flooded his body.

Katniss was putting her shoes on and face level with his crotch, when she raised her head. Her eyes fixed on the shape of his slightly swollen bulge. Flustered, her eyes jumped to the waistband of his pajama bottoms and his bare abdomen. Peeta took her hands and lifted her to a standing position.

"You don't have to go," he said, his voice low.

"I have to," she whispered. He felt her breath on his face.

_She's right here in front of me. I'm tired of wanting her, tired of holding back. She makes me want to explode!_

Acting impulsively, he swiftly brought her into his arms and kissed her. Her lips responded with a pressure of their own. He felt her silky arms snake around to his back, her fingers splayed over his shoulder blade muscles. She fell against him for a few seconds of Heaven, and then suddenly she pulled away.

"Peeta," she shook her head. He could read the desire in her eyes, and there was nothing he wanted more in his life than to have her in his bed. So he didn't quite believe it when he heard her say, "I can't do this, Peeta. I can't be here. I can't see you!"

"What? Why?" he asked breathlessly, his heart breaking and his dick hard.

Katniss shoved past him, grabbed her jacket off a hook by the door and hurriedly put it on. "I'm sorry," she muttered and was out the door.

Peeta ran to the door and leaned out. "Katniss!" he yelled. But she didn't stop running until she entered her own front door.


	5. Chapter 5

**Peeta's Desire:** Chapter 5

_What is it about rain that makes a person feel more alone?_ Peeta wondered, as he slowly closed the door. He could still feel her lips on his, could still taste her, could still smell her damned strawberry-scented hair! _What the hell went on here, tonight? _

Peeta sat down at the dining table, reached for the plate of fried chicken and ate all of it-a leg, two wings, and a thigh-with a cheese bun. Katniss had never brought him any food before. Mrs. Everdeen would give it to him herself to take home, although once Prim brought him a sausage and potato casserole that lasted him three days. He had asked for the recipe and now could make it himself. Peeta went to the sink to wash the plate, thinking he would return it tomorrow.

_It must've really worried Katniss to find out I was following her, so she just wanted to make sure she told me herself to leave her alone. The funny thing was, she wasn't mad. Instead, the way she looked at me when I held her feet…._Peeta shook his head trying to figure it out. She had made it pretty clear over the last few months that she wanted nothing to do with him. But tonight, in his house, it didn't feel like she wanted him to leave her alone.

He went to get the drawing; maybe he could get a clue from it. He carried the canvas to the fireplace and studied it. Peeta had captured the wistful expression in her eyes, a sad yearning for something she thought she couldn't have. Peeta recalled how hard it'd been to keep her eyes off of him and on the fire. That made him remember the way she had raked her eyes over his shirtless body at the door, and how she had gotten so flustered. He automatically got goosebumps thinking about it. He got a nail and hammer out of his kitchen and hung the picture above the fireplace. He was very proud that this picture would have the honor of being the first thing to hang on his wall. He would make a frame for it later.

He went around blowing out candles in the downstairs' rooms and then he threw some more wood on the fire. Even in the Victor's Village, electrical service in District 12 always went out when it stormed, and often didn't come back on until the morning. Peeta figured he might as well go to bed, but his mind kept replaying everything that happened today and especially tonight as he stared wide awake at his ceiling.

He imagined kissing Katniss again in front of the fire. This time, she didn't run away. Katniss leaned into their kiss. She clung to Peeta, as his lips moved from her soft mouth to her jawline to her neck, stopping to kiss every inch from behind her ear to the hollow of her throat. It thrilled him when Katniss angled her head the other way, so he could kiss the other side of her neck, which he gladly did. Slowly, he raised his head and looked her right in the eye. "I love you," he said in his fantasy. "I love you, too, Peeta," answered Katniss.

They sunk to the rug in front of the fire as one. Katniss gently pushed Peeta on to his back and straddled his lap. She ran her cool, smooth hands over Peeta's bare abdomen and chest, making him shiver with lust. She never took her beautiful blue-gray eyes off of his, even as her fingers slid over his waistband. Then in one motion, Katniss flattened her palms against his abdomen and rubbed them up over his stomach, chest, out to his shoulders and down his arms, ending with her hands wrapped around his wrists. Peeta's breathing got fast and heavy, as Katniss brought his hands up against the front of her tight sweater. He placed his hands over her breasts and squeezed and massaged, remembering the soft orbs and dark nipples he accidentally spied by the lake. In his mind, she moaned with the pleasure of his touch, and pulled her sweater up over her head and threw it to the side. She wasn't wearing a bra.

By now, Peeta had an iron rod pushing against his flannel pants. He rubbed a hand across his belly, and imagined it was Katniss who couldn't resist him this time. She leaned forward and pushed each nipple against his mouth until he sucked on them. Oh God! His cock was aching to be touched by her. So all he had to do was imagine that Katniss had moved beside him and pulled his pants down. As Peeta slid his hand down his erection, he imagined it was Katniss' hand. She leaned over and kissed the swollen head, running her tongue down the underside, making him gasp with the decadence of it. Then she began to stroke his hard cock just the way Peeta liked it. With black hair loose and gleaming in the firelight, Katniss ground her full lips against his as desperate need overwhelmed them both.

Peeta couldn't hold back any longer and his hand moved faster, stroking up and down, feeling her fevered kiss, tasting her in his mouth, wanting to taste her most private place. It made him feel dirty to think thoughts like that, but it was such a turn-on, and at times like these, he couldn't stop. He wanted to see her there, touch her there between her legs, and kiss her there. His passion built, his desire swelled, until he was completely in his fantasy. He saw Katniss standing up over him, letting her pants slide down her legs, exposing her white bikini underwear to him. Next, she hooked her thumbs in the sides of her panties and inched them down her hips until the dark triangle of curly hair appeared. Consumed with lust, Peeta groaned as he lost control and exploded all over his belly and pajama bottoms. His hand was wet as he stroked one last time. There seemed to be more than usual.

"Shit!" Peeta huffed. He got out of bed and cleaned up in the bathroom next to his bedroom. He pulled his pajamas off and threw them in the corner. He walked naked back to his room and dug in his chest of drawers for a pair of cotton boxer shorts. He was depressed. Tonight it hadn't put him to sleep. It had just made him miss her more!

Peeta sat in a chair in his boxer shorts only, and stared out the second story window towards Katniss' house. The moon was out. It had stopped raining. Peeta glanced at the clock on the wall; it was only a few minutes after nine o'clock. _What are you doing right now, Katniss?_

She was so close and he was curious, so he quickly pulled his pants on and slipped a black sweater over his head. He cut through Haymitch's backyard to get to the Everdeen's backyard. The windows flickered orange from lit candles. He carefully peered into the kitchen window and saw Prim and Katniss at the table playing a dice game. Prim was laughing; Katniss smiled, and passed her the dice. Katniss' hair gleamed in the candlelight, and looked so silky, Peeta longed to stroke it, thrust his hands into it, and feel it tangled around his fingers. Involuntarily, his dick jumped and began to swell, but he was so used to it swelling whenever he was near Katniss, that he didn't think anything of it.

She wasn't guarded with Prim, which is why he loved to spy on her; so he could see the real Katniss. He loved to see her laugh like she was doing now, because it was so rare. _I wish I could make her laugh like that. _He envisioned a future where Katniss was his and they played dice just like that, and she was laughing delightedly. A sharp pain pierced his heart. It was fear that he would never have that future with the woman he loved. But he wouldn't give up hope. There was nothing else worth living for.

Mrs. Everdeen came into the kitchen then, causing Peeta to duck out of sight. She came all the way to the kitchen window and pulled it open halfway. "We need some fresh air in here," he heard her say. "Prim, time for bed."

Peeta couldn't resist sneaking a last peek at Katniss, before he left, but as soon as he did, he heard her voice. "Mom, can I talk to you a minute?"

"Of course, Katniss," said her mother, with concern. Mrs. Everdeen came to sit in the chair closest to the window, fanning herself with her hand. Peeta crouched out of sight, but he could still hear them.

"Mom, have you ever loved two boys?" asked Katniss, tentatively.

Mrs. Everdeen took a deep breath. "It's funny you should ask that, Katniss. I actually did love two boys. I haven't thought about that in a long time. It was when I was about your age, too."

"Tell me about it. I mean, how did you decide?"

Peeta's heart started racing, and so did his thoughts._ Katniss loves two boys? Gale and I? Me? ME!? _He had to hear more.

"Well…"started Mrs. Everdeen. "There was a boy in town who was courting me, I guess you could say. I knew him for a while. He worked in his father's ba-…business."

Peeta was pretty sure she was talking about his father. He slid down with his back against the wall and sat on the ground under the window. The wet grass immediately soaked through the seat of his pants, but he silenced a curse. He could still hear them from here.

"And I had expected to marry this boy. He was a kind and gentle man who could provide for me. Not unattractive. He used to take me for walks in the meadow, and we'd picnic there sometimes." She paused, probably deep in thought, until Katniss spoke up.

"Mom? Picnics? Then what?"

"Oh!" exclaimed Mrs. Everdeen. "One summer day—and I remember it was summer, because the ground was covered in dandelions—we saw this boy from the Seam squeeze between the wires of the fence, coming _out_ of the woods. Well, no one ever went beyond the fence! We were quite surprised. He was carrying four dead rabbits, and he was so happy, he started to sing. He was a good-looking boy, your father. Well, you know that." Katniss' mother began to hum a tune.

"That's the Valley Song!" Katniss said, excitement in her voice.

Peeta remembered when Katniss sung the Valley Song in Kindergarten. It's why he fell in love with her.

"He came to us and asked if we'd like to buy a rabbit, although he knew we lived in town, and when he looked into my eyes, I was smitten just like that," continued Mrs. Everdeen. "I couldn't get him out of my mind. One day, I waited in the meadow on a Sunday and saw him again. He was so charming, and with his bow and arrows, he reminded me of Robin Hood." She laughed. "So anyway, we began to meet every Sunday and I fell in love with him. Every other day of the week, though, I had my normal life; sewing, cleaning, and helping my parents in the clinic. I was still dating the boy in town sometimes, too. I was still extremely fond of him. Town people usually stayed separate from Seam people, so your father and I kept our relationship secret. After a couple of months, Jaymie…I mean, Jaymes, your father…held the fence apart and brought me into the woods. There, he kissed me for the first time."

"What about the boy in town?" inquired Katniss. Peeta was asking himself the same question.

"I loved him, too, but it was more of a nice, comfortable, safe love. I had known him for a long time, I could see exactly the kind of life I would have with him, and it wasn't a bad life. He was a wonderful man, and we got along, but…."

_He __**is**__ a wonderful man,_ thought Peeta, _and you broke his heart. Is history going to repeat itself?_

"But?" encouraged Katniss.

Her mother sighed dreamily. "Your father, with his dangerous lifestyle, his Robin Hood clothes, his dark, rugged good looks, woke something in me...passion, adventure, excitement…even music. I just didn't feel that kind of passion for the boy in town. So I chose Jaymes."

"You could have lived richly and had all you needed, by marrying the town boy. You lost your friends and family by choosing a man from the Seam."

"I gave up a lot, that's true. But I have had a great love, Katniss." Her voice pitched upwards. "And Jaymes, you, and Prim were all I ever needed to be happy."

Peeta heard the chair scrape the floor. "Katniss?" said Mrs. Everdeen. "Are you in love with Gale and Peeta?"

"No!" denied Katniss. Peeta's heart dropped. "I mean…I don't know. I don't even know why I asked, but it was nice hearing about how you fell in love with Daddy."

"Do you understand why I chose your father, even though everyone including me expected I would marry the other boy? Do you know why it was worth it to give up my family to be his wife?"

"Passion, excitement," quoted Katniss.

Her mother laughed. "Yes, something like that." She lowered her voice, getting serious. "I chose the one who gave me butterflies when I saw him. I chose the one who caused a longing in me that was impossible to quench. I chose the one whose kisses sent me over the moon." She paused. "Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"I think so," answered Katniss. "My problem is, I don't want to love anyone, because I don't plan on ever getting married or having children. But I think about both of them all the time. I'm so confused."

"There's no reason to rush into anything, Katniss. Give it time."

Another chair scraped across the floor, and Peeta heard the weariness in Katniss' voice. "I'm tired; I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight, sleep tight."

Peeta didn't understand why Katniss ran away tonight if she had real feelings for him. _Unless…unless… she was afraid of longing for me the same way that I long for her._ _If she hadn't denied her feelings for him, the fantasy he had tonight could have been real! _He just sat there on the wet ground in mild shock, until his butt was so cold, he was afraid he'd freeze to the ground if he didn't move.


	6. Chapter 6

Peeta ran into Haymitch's backyard in a crouched over position. He practically tripped over Prim's big yellow cat, Buttercup, who then ran off into the darkness.

"Hey, Boy!" called a familiar voice. Peeta stopped in his tracks. Haymitch was leaning out of his back door. "What are you doing sneaking around in my backyard?"

Peeta was momentarily speechless. Then his skills kicked in. "Hi, Haymitch…I was just chasing Prim's cat out of my backyard and into theirs. He was driving me crazy with his yowling!"

"Yowling, huh?" questioned Haymitch. "Come in, Boy, I'm up for a visit." Peeta could tell Haymitch was drunk, but he wasn't slobbering-passing-out-drunk yet, so he accepted the invitation, and entered his mentor's house. As usual, the place was a mess with dishes in the sink, garbage stinking in the trash, empty liquor bottles on all the tables, and the faint sour smell of vomit laced with alcohol in the air.

Haymitch sat at the kitchen table and motioned for Peeta to sit down. Peeta cleared the table of empty bottles first, meticulously standing each one up in a box by the back door, before he sat down.

"You're going to make someone a real nice wife one day, Boy," teased Haymitch.

"I'd rather think of myself as a good partner…if I ever got married," said Peeta, quietly.

"Well, whatever," said Haymitch, waving at a fly in front of his face. "You've got the Victory Tour in a few weeks and you and Katniss will be expected to act like lovers, you know."

"Yes, I know," responded Peeta, barely able to keep the misery out of his voice. He wished they were lovers, everyone knew them as lovers, but they were far from it. At the moment, they were more like acquaintances. The situation would be laughable if it didn't hurt so badly.

"How long are you going to hold a grudge?" Haymitch asked. "That act kept you both alive, you know."

"Me hold a grudge?" asked a surprised Peeta. "Katniss is the one who practically treats me like a stranger."

Haymitch took a pull from his bottle of white liquor, swallowing several times before he lowered the bottle. "Well, you better get her to stop treating you like a stranger, then."

He belched. "You have less than a month before you have to perform for the Capital in the Victory Tour."

"You know how stubborn she can be, Haymitch. I feel like I opened the door a little today, though. She actually came in to my house." _And then I messed it up, like running up on a deer._

"She came in...well, that's a start. What for?" Haymitch took another drink from the bottle.

"She brought me some leftover chicken."

"Well, Hell, she didn't bring _me_ any," he said sarcastically. "Was that it?"

"She let me draw a picture of her," answered Peeta.

"She did, did she?" smiled Haymitch, nodding his head. "Well, I think that's encouraging."

"Really?" Peeta was sadly resigned to loving Katniss from a distance, and tonight hadn't felt all that encouraging.

Haymitch shrugged and took another swig from his bottle.

Peeta stared at him. "I didn't tell you that I kissed her and she kissed me back."

Haymitch stood up so fast, he knocked his chair over. "Boy, you have more guts than I've given you credit for!" His mouth stretched into a grin.

"Don't get too excited, Haymitch. She pretty much told me to stay away from her before she ran back home as fast as she could."

Haymitch picked his chair up, swayed, and sat down. "It sounds like I'm gonna have to talk to her," he slurred. "Remind her whaz expected….Tomorrow, I'll talk to her….." Haymitch's voice faded away; his head dropped to his chest for a few seconds and quickly came back up again. Seeing Peeta startled him. "What do _you _want?" he asked suddenly.

Peeta rolled his eyes. "Nothing Haymitch, I have to get home." As he stood up, he told the older man, "It's late. You should go to bed."

"Yeah, I'm fine," mumbled Haymitch, waving goodbye to Peeta. He sleepily tipped the bottle up to finish it off.

Peeta left, shaking his head. He didn't drink, and after seeing what it did to Haymitch, he didn't want anything to do with the stuff. Katniss told him she had considered drinking to help her sleep without nightmares. He wondered if that actually worked for Haymitch.

Peeta had nightmares.

_The mutt dogs are after us…..running, running…bushes grab at our feet….branches slap us in the face…my leg is bleeding …chased by the dogs, giant dogs growling…following Katniss…must go faster…Katniss stops and turns around and raises her bow to shoot..…NO, KATNISS! NO!...the snarling dogs jump, ignoring him, and tear Katniss apart in front of his eyes…and he is helpless, paralyzed….listening to her scream!_

Peeta woke up suddenly, gasping for air. His heart was pounding, and his cheeks were wet from tears. The gruesome image of a mutt biting off Katniss' leg quickly faded as reality set in. He took a deep breath. _Damn it!_ Peeta wiped his face with his hands and threw off the covers. Wearing a robe and boxers, he went to his easel downstairs and set up a blank canvas. He had to light some candles, because the electricity was still out. Then he began to paint. A mutt hellhound with Clove's dark eyes gradually appeared on the canvas.

Peeta had begun to paint a couple of months ago, since he didn't decorate cakes any more at the bakery, and since he now had the money to buy paints and brushes and canvases. He had always been able to draw well, and any blank piece of paper lying around would soon have a drawing of one thing or another on it. Dealing with color though was entirely new to him, and he agonized over every shade, trying to make his paintings as real as possible. Currently it was the color of the saliva dripping from the mutt's open jaws that was giving him a little trouble; he experimented with shades of silver and white, until he found the correct mixture. Next, he painted a blood red sunburst behind the dog's head, and trimmed that in yellow. It gave him a bit of peace to get the picture out of his head and onto the canvas.

By the time he got finished washing his brushes out, the sky had begun to lighten, announcing the oncoming dawn. It was Thursday, the other day besides Sunday that Katniss went to hunt. _Well, since I'm up anyway…_. Peeta hurried upstairs to get dressed in warm clothes. He grabbed a couple of hard rolls out of the bread box in the kitchen, a hunk of goat cheese from the refrigerator, and then stuffed them and a bottle of water into the pockets of his jacket. In a pocket on his pants, he had a Swiss Army knife, a thermal blanket, some matches, a compass and some string. Since the Games, he liked to prepare for survival, just in case.

Peeta went out and sat on his porch and watched the sky fade to gray, waiting for Katniss to slip out of her house. He didn't have to wait more than ten minutes before he saw her. Peeta knew that Katniss didn't want him to follow her, but what else did he have to do? He still felt compelled to protect her, to be with her. He hid in the shadows of his porch, and saw Katniss glance at his house as she went by. Peeta waited until she was out of Victor's Village before he followed her. He knew the way she would go and where she would enter the woods—from the meadow between the better part of town and the Seam. He reached the fence as the last bit of night was washed away by the pink and soft orange rays of the sun. Clumsily, Peeta climbed through the wires of the fence and disappeared among the trees.

He walked for several minutes, searching for Katniss in the big woods, but it seemed she hadn't taken the path she usually did. Peeta dug his compass out of his pocket to help keep him from getting lost. _Katniss must know every square inch of these woods._

"Stop right there!"

Startled, Peeta turned around and there was Katniss, holding her bow on him, the arrow aimed at his chest. She immediately lowered her bow. "What are you doing? I told you to stop following me!" said an exasperated Katniss.

"No, you didn't. You only told me you didn't like it," Peeta smirked.

"Same thing!"

"Oh I beg to differ," argued Peeta.

"Well, I'm telling you to stop it right now!" yelled Katniss. "Being alone in the woods is what helps me keep my sanity."

Peeta closed the distance between them. "To be totally honest, I don't know if I can. I don't think I'll ever stop wanting to protect you, Katniss."

"Peeta, you don't have to protect me anymore," she said gently. "Besides, I'm the one with the weapon."

Peeta chuckled, "Ok, you can protect me."

Katniss huffed. "Well, sit down by that tree and don't move. I'm going to check my snares. I mean it! Don't move! I'll be back."

As Katniss disappeared into the forest, Peeta got an idea. He took out the paper-thin thermal blanket, unfolded it, and spread it on the ground under a big oak tree. Next he gathered some loose dry twigs and dried leaves and arranged them in a pile, on a bare spot of earth. He used the saw blade of his pocketknife to cut a few small dead branches and added them to the pile. It only took him one match to light the fire. He dug out the water bottle, took a drink, and tossed it on the blanket.

The oak was old and wide with a thick trunk. Peeta took his knife and carved a heart into the tree bark. Inside the heart, he carved P.M. + K.E. _Now whenever Katniss comes this way, she'll see this heart and be reminded that I still love her._ It hit him then that Gale would most likely pass this tree, also. _Well, he can just be reminded, too! _Then he sat down, leaned back against the tree, and waited for Katniss to return.


End file.
